Garage storage doesn’t always have to be basic plastic racks and messy shelves. When a homeowner called the team at Ask This Old House for help with her garage storage before her new baby arrives, master carpenter Nathan Gilbert knew just what to do: Look overhead.
How to Install Overhead Garage Storage
- Start by inspecting the ceiling framing above the drywall. Note the direction the ceiling joists run and the spacing (typically 16 or 18 inches on center).
- Using a tape measure and a known joist location, measure and mark the location of the ceiling joists you’ll be installing the rack on. Make sure you hit a joist; otherwise, the rack may pull out.
- Place a mounting plate over the joist and use a pencil to mark locations to drill.
- With the correct size drill bit (according to the included hardware), drill into the joist at the marked locations. Install the brackets using the included hardware per the instructions. Repeat at all four locations.
- Follow the assembly instructions. This usually starts by bolting the shorter cross-members to the uprights, then installing longer stretchers between them.
- Install the cross members between the stretchers according to the assembly instructions.
- Install the wire rack over the cross members, according to the assembly instructions.
- Load your rack with bins for easy, accessible storage in the middle of your garage.
